So Beautiful
by Luna Maria Boulevardes
Summary: And he really is beautiful today, Katara thinks, just not quite so beautiful as Azula. AzulaKatara


So Beautiful

By L. M. Boulevardes

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She isn't sure why she's here. The ground is cold and sort of squishy against her back; her clothes may not may it through the night. The mud is sullying her long milk chocolate silk hair. There are little snatches of pain pocketed along her body – a bites on her neck and breasts, scratches down her back, some bruising on her inner thighs. Her legs have been coaxed apart so many times tonight she's forgotten how many times her pleasure has peaked.

It is wrong.

It is wonderful.

The waterbender closes her eyes lazily and wraps her legs over her firebender's hips. There is a beat as Azula shifts under Katara's weight, repositioning. Then she delivers a bruising, searing kiss to Katara who moans deliciously into it. Hands are trailing her body, and she shudders in pleasure.

Azula keeps her arms tightly clasped over Katara's neck, almost as if afraid she will run away. She isn't sure how this happened – she never meant to fall in love with the girl. But once, they were fairly alone, fighting in the woods and Azula was overcome with _wanting_ the girl. And having never been denied anything she ever truly wanted, Azula saw little problem with slamming the waterbender into a tree and kissing her hard.

Katara had been surprised, then responded with a hunger that Azula liked. Of course, once Azula pulled away, breathless, Katara went right back to being stupid with surprise. Azula's defenses were down; Katara ran away. But when they met again, this time each girl foraging in the woods for water, they could not remember enemy. Katara gave her a crushing kiss and they fell into the water. As Azula lay on her back with Katara trailing kisses over her breasts, she realized she owed Ty Lee some money. So the rumors of waterbenders getting hot during a full moon – especially when near the water – were true. Azula shivered as the river splayed her cool fingers over her body.

It seemed strange to her to fall in love with another girl – sexualities other than heterosexuality had not been an ones Azula had entertained. But she wanted this, and Azula always got what she wanted, no matter what. Tonight in the grove was theirs. She was not the Fire Nation Princess, Katara was not the Avatar's girlfriend. They were two young women in love, expressing it.

Azula rests her head in the crook of Katara's neck, smelling the scent of sex, water and earth as it wafts off her. The waterbender is idly running her fingers through Azula's hair, letting the onyx strands rises and fall like black waves. The shadows have hidden them well.

"Eventually they'll find out," Katara comments, thinking they should plan for the future. Azula doesn't say anything; she wants this moment to last forever. She doesn't want to think about what could come next.

"Shh," she hisses, burying her face in the waterbender's chest. Katara is a little younger than Azula, but so much more mature. Azula knows what she should do, that Katara is right. But Azula has spent her whole life doing what everyone wants her to do; her father, her people. Rarely has she had a chance to do what _she_ wants. So she hugs Katara closely, pressing her body against the waterbender's. She can't stand to see this end.

"We should clean off," Katara says. She rises and takes Azula's hand, leading her to the pond below the hill they're on. The firebendering princess scares her lover by diving off the cliff into the pond head-first.

"Come on!" Azula yells up to the wide-eyed Katara. She laughs and throws herself in, so they are floating there. Between the warmth provided by Azula's firebending and Katara's master waterbending, bathing is always a most interesting activity. When dawn breaks they depart, thoughts loose in their heads. Azula thinks how lonely the road is alone, how sick she is of this chase and her father. Her bed is cold and empty. At the campsite, Toph, Aang and Sokka confront Katara, wanting to know where she was.

"I was taking a bath," she says snappishly, tired after so many hours with Azula. The little voice in her head reminds Katara she is a liar.

"Oh. Was that all?" Aang says, laughing. He smiles and approaches her, and her mouth hurts from her lying and cheating, from her fake smiles for him.

"Yeah. You look beautiful today, you know that?" she says. He blushes. _And he really does, _she thinks, _just not quite so beautiful as Azula.

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Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender is not mine.

Please read and review.


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